The B-class of MADS-box transcription factors has been studied in many plant
species, but remain uncharacterized in the Rosaceae family. APETALA3 (AP3),
a member of this class, is known to control the petals and stamens in
Arabidopsis thaliana. Carmen Martín-Pizarro, together with her colleagues
from the Universidad de Malaga in Spain, aims to learn AP3's role in the
cultivated strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) by studying an AP3 member,
FaTM6.



Using CRISPR-Cas9 system, the team aimed to knockout the FaTM6 to
characterize the function of FaTM6 in flower development. An analysis of the
target sites showed a high efficiency genome editing already in the T0
generation. Phenotypic characterization of the mutant lines indicates that
FaTM6 plays a key role in petal and especially in anther development in
strawberry.



These results validate that FaTM6 plays a role in flower development in
strawberry. This study also confirms that CRISPR-Cas9 can be applied in an
octoploid species such as the cultivated strawberry.



[riuma.uma.es]